Call Me Maybe

If you’re not big into pop music, take a moment to listen to Carley Rae Jespen’s recent hit, “Call Me Maybe.” It has taken the internet by storm and inspired several cover performances. We especially liked the Harvard Baseball Team’s and this Celebrity Remix starring Justin Bieber (we’re not sure why we always end up including him in our blog posts, it’s unintentional, we promise), Selena Gomez, Ashley Tisdale and others.

You’ll probably have this song stuck in your head all day. We apologize. We’ll get to the point.

Almost a year ago, we wrote a blog post titled “Nothing New” in which we pondered the argument that at this point in history, we’re all saturated with information from a young age. Therefore, it’s hard to completely separate one’s self from everything he or she knows in order to develop something completely new and different.

To an extent, “covers” of songs like the ones linked to above demonstrate this point, but they can also teach us something. The Harvard baseball team did not write their own song, nor did Justin Bieber and company. Instead, they used what was already out there and put their own spin on it. That’s what a “cover” performance is.

What can we learn from it? We don’t know about you, but we were entertained watching these and other cover videos. It’s always interesting to see an individual’s new take on something that’s been done before. In the case of the Harvard Baseball Team, it was unexpected and hilarious. In the case of the celebrity remix, we had to laugh and roll our eyes. The point is, though they didn’t create something entirely original, in a way, they made what already existed their own.

Look at American Idol. Season 11 will soon be coming to a close. We’ve watched as thousands upon thousands of contestants have tried to come in and sing songs (written and originally performed by other people, most of the time…although, we do still remember “Pants on the Ground” from a couple seasons back). The three remaining finalists have proven that they’ve done it the best. They’ve taken classic songs and sung amazing covers. They’ve made the songs their own in a way that’s inspired emotion and praise.

What can your business do to use the tools that have been established in your field and improve on them to make them your own? Yes. You’re on Facebook. Now what are you going to do to separate yourself from the rest of the small businesses vying for your customer’s attention? Okay. You’re going to Tradeshows. What’s your booth going to say about your company that proves that your organization thinks outside the box?

We don’t know exactly how we feel about the argument that “nothing new” will ever exist again. Someday, someone will probably prove that wrong. What we do know is that taking what exists and making it better, more efficient, more personal, or more useful is a surefire way to engage your consumers.